Matt Peach An Interview by Roctavia.
I recently got the chance to chat with rising UK artist Matt Peach. Peach has an impressive repertoire of helping those in need, standing up & speaking out for struggling indie music venues (causes after my own heart as well I’ll admit), and creating deeply thoughtful tracks for his soon to be released album Epiphany. In this interview we were honored with a deep dive into captivating storytelling, trials of overcoming school bullies, and wisdoms in love & life gained, all through the eyes of the budding British artist himself.
Roctavia: Hey Matt, I just wanted thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your new album Epiphany! After listening, I have to ask, how has nostalgia played a part in your writing process?
Matt Peach: Hey Roctavia, yes musically speaking, I had no intention of breaking new musical ground here. Everyone has a musical home, a place they feel most comfortable and I realised it’s been far too long since I last visited. There’s no reinventing the wheel here. It’s rock n’ roll and I’ve realised it doesn’t need fixing; it was never broken. My previous albums got experimental at times, I love them, but I’ve always wanted to make an album that reminds me of my childhood… that was really important here, because this really is an album about coming of age, the surrender of one era in your life and the start of the next chapter. Sonically you could say the sound looks backwards, whilst most of the lyrics look forwards, it’s an album where the protagonist is poised on the threshold of adventure.
Roctavia: I could sense that it was pretty multifaceted. So what were your inspirations for this album’s sound collectively?
Matt Peach: It was really natural. Often I’ll create a mood board of songs that I really like that I wanna borrow aspects from in terms of production and tone. But this time around almost everything was already in my head, because it’s the sounds that I’ve always loved. If I had to put it into a list:
The Alarm, Green Day, Frank Turner, The Clash, U2, The Darkness. There was one exception, and you can probably spot the elephant in the room when you hear the album. “Crush” was inspired by a Prince documentary I watched, and the moment the credits rolled, I thought “Wow I gotta write a tune in the style of Prince, just as an exercise”. Then I showed it to some people and they loved it and very quickly we knew it had to be on the album.
Roctavia: The album seems pretty deep, was it all written from a personal perspective?
Matt Peach: Yep, even the cheeky ones haha. I decided very early on that I wanted it to feel slightly like a concept record, in terms of the action rising and falling. And to that end I knew that it had to be really honest and open, almost like the audience is watching a tv drama where you see all the characters emotions. I was very fortunate to discover Frank Turner just as I started working on this album and the first thing that hit me about his song writing was how much I connected with every line in his songs, because he’s just so honest. “Surrender” is a completely metaphorical song, it’s based around the “moment of surrender”, which is when an addict realises they’ve got a problem and finally admits they need help. I was really struck by this idea, especially being a rather proud, “I don’t need any help”,
kinda fella. And then there’s “Guy Bueno” which is a true story about a winter night I got spiked and nearly froze to death on a car park floor only to be thrown in someone’s car and taken home. I was so inebriated at the time that I had no idea who had saved me, I could only remember their voice. Months later at a gig I heard this reggae band, and in between songs when the singer was speaking, his voice really pricked my interest – I recognised it. I got speaking to him after the show, and it materialised that he’d saved a half frozen drunkard in a car park a year before. Everything lined up perfectly, location, time, all the events. I couldn’t believe it! I knew it had to become a song.
Roctavia: Oh wow! That is an incredible story! Proof positive that people always come into your life for a reason I guess. Really glad that everything turned out ok. Well, back on to the interview after that! Haha what an incredible story. So, now I have to know, what is your most cherished song on the album & why?
Matt Peach: That’s a real hard one. So hard to choose. “Epiphany” (the song) is the heart of the record but I think if I had to choose, it would be either “Dreaming” or “My Sweetest Friend”, I feel like those are two of the simplest and yet best song writing I’ve ever done. “Dreaming” was inspired by the passing of my Grandmother, and the perfect love that my Grandfather had for her. I thought – I want a love like that. Whereas, “My Sweetest Friend” is a song that hit me at 4 in the morning and made me cry my eyes out with joy when I recorded the first demo. It’s about a real person and real events, but was actually inspired by the line, “what have I become, my sweetest friend,” in Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”. I knew that at the end of this record I wanted the protagonist to have come of age, they’ve changed a lot, they have a new attitude, a new outlook, new goals and morals, they return home, and though they’ve changed, the loyalty to those they love does not.
Roctavia: I had wondered that being a huge Johnny Cash fan myself! What a great story and concept for that song! So how did you get turned on to music in the first place & what made you choose to play the guitar?
Matt Peach: Seeing The Alarm live when I was about 10 years old and getting dragged into a mosh pit by a stranger. I remember watching the guitarist and thinking that’s what I want to do! It made school so much easier, if you’re useless at sports then what else can you do to be cool? Get yourself in a band. It was a lifeboat in a sea of shallow kids and bullies. I had far less altercations at school after that, even the gangster lads that listened to hip-hop and the like had a form of honourable respect for the boys in the rock bands. And then I remember The Darkness appearing, before then, I kinda thought rock had to be super serious, straight faced. They injected the fun – and the killer guitar parts and I was completely hooked.
Roctavia: I hear that you are mates with Adam Slack of The Struts. How did the two of you end up meeting?
Matt Peach: I don’t think we even know. At one point we thought we went to the same school, then worked out we can’t have. I believe we first properly met when a fledgling version of The Struts and my old punk band did a gig together in Derby at the vic. It was very last minute, mid week, and hardly anyone turned up, haha. I lent Adz a guitar as his got busted halfway through their set, That’s the first time I really remember meeting properly. There’s many different types of guitar player, you’ve got the shredders, the wizards, the 4 chord tricksters, but he and I are made in the same mould. There’s a lotta similar influences with the brit pop and punk stuff, makes him very easy to jam with.
Roctavia: I know that you obviously weren’t able to have the Green Days gig this year, but what has been your favourite part of those experiences?
Matt Peach: My opening support slot! Haha joking, sort of…
At last year’s, it was absolutely rammed and during my support slot with my solo band we could hear the audience singing my own songs back at me louder than the on-stage monitoring. That was an amazing moment, and the first time I’ve experienced it! But in terms of those nights, the best thing is it’s fun – unparalleled.
You’re playing with the best guys, both on and off stage. You’re all in love with the music you’re playing. When we were 12, we all wanted to be in Green Day, and for one night a year we are, sorta. And then there’s the community side of it, everyone comes out to play. It’s the best Christmas party imaginable, you get to see everyone and they’re all having a good time, I suppose really that’s truly the best bit.
Roctavia: Hopefully we’ll all be able to get back into it next year then! You’re a pretty talented musician. I hear that you’ve gotten to play on stage with The Darkness. Tell us about that experience!
Matt Peach: Thanks, I try my best! That was all a bit of a surprise. Last year I did a stem cell donation for a leukaemia patient and as a “well done”, my family bought me a meet and greet ticket. I’d never been on one these before so just that in itself was amazing. Then it was revealed that one person at the meet and greet would get the chance to play with the band. I never imagined it could be me. So when Justin Hawkins read my name out, I think I just stood there like, “Fuck me, no way!” Climbing onto that stage was the most terrifying moment of my entire life. Then he passed me his white Les Paul Custom, and I could not believe it! Some of my favourite songs ever had been recorded on this guitar. They asked what tune I wanted to do so we kicked into “Love Is Only A Feeling” and my playing got the nod of approval from the band, I relaxed then.
When we finished Justin said to the guitar tech that he couldn’t hear my guitar solo in his monitoring, so we got to do it again! I’ll never forget that. One of the best moments of my life.
Roctavia: That’s a pretty wonderful thing that you’ve done & I say what a treat that was well deserved. If you could have one wish granted in respect for your new album Epiphany, what would it be?
Matt Peach: Have Taylor Swift cover it, in its entirety. We can work out the royalties over dinner.
Roctavia: Haha uh-oh T-Swift, looks like you’ve got another upcoming album option to choose from! So I usually like to go out of interviews on a sort of fun, off the cuff note so I have one last question, if you could be any animal, what would you be & why?
Matt Peach: Wow that’s a hard one. Probably Taylor Swift’s cat so I could persuade her to cover my album. But just in case her cat isn’t fully fluent in English, probably Ted [the teddy bear] from Ted. He’s got all of Chucky’s magic superpowers, but he’s a considerably more likeable guy.
Roctavia: Hahaha! You’re an absolute gem Matt. Thank you so much for taking the time out to interview with us! We look forward to the album release & hopefully seeing you play it live!
You can check out Matt Peach’s new track “Cut Our Teeth,” an ode to imperilled grassroots music venues everywhere, which also just made BBC Radio Derby’s Track of the Week here:
 | Love & Rockets ~ Roctavia |
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